Shawna and Come On III competed in the Palm Beach Dressage Derby CDI on March 5-6 in the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Special. On Friday, they scored 64.298% in the Grand Prix to finish 12th in a large class. Come On showed marked improvement over his last event, but had a few mistakes. In Saturday’s Grand Prix Special, they scored 67.250% to finish 4th with Come On displaying even more of his potential.

Mere’s Atlast Fly Spray was again the Prime Sponsor of the event by covering Shawna and Come On’s event expenses. Shawna’s other product sponsors including Banks Mill Feeds, eZall, EquiSpirit horse trailers, Horseware Ireland, and GumBits were also well represented and their products were in constant use throughout the event.

Shawna Harding Dressage would like to welcome Meredith Roberts and Mere’s Atlast Fly Spray as a new prime sponsor of the team.

Shawna was introduced to the new organic fly spray in Aiken, SC before coming down to Wellington for the season. “I was very impressed with the organic fly spray product. I don’t like spraying chemical pesticides on my horses every day and sometimes more than once a day. The “green” AtLast fly spray is a great product and better for the health and well being of my horses.” AtLast is not only a product sponsor but is also sponsoring expenses for multiple competitions during the 2010 Wellington season. This is a huge help to Shawna and Come On on their way to the World Equestrian Games!

AtLast’s product portfolio fits in well with Shawna’s other great product sponsors: Banks Mill Feeds making healthy fresh grain, eZall “green” shampoo and grooming products, EquiSpirit horse trailers (coming out soon with a new “green” trailer), Horseware Ireland keeping Shawna and the horses outfitted and all natural GumBits!

Shawna’s 2010 Wellington season started last weekend with a solid first showing at the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge I. Despite unseasonably cold and rainy weather for south Florida with wind chills in the 20’s, Come On III and Tonya Rowe’s Rigo performed very well. They averaged over 70% in taking home three first place finishes and a second. Come On scored 69.787% in the Saturday Grand Prix class and 71.5% in the Sunday Grand Prix Freestyle. Rigo was competing for the first time in the USEF Developing Horse Test and scored 72% and 68.143%. This was a qualifying event for the USEF National Developing Horse Championships for 7-9 year olds in July. This was a very positive start to Rigo’s campaign to qualifying for the Championships.

Shawna’s sponsors were instrumental in her success this weekend. Aiken trainer and rider Valerie Swygert sponsored Come On’s entries and stabling. The weather was so bad that the horses were sharing their extra Horseware Ireland blankets with the humans. Ezall kept everybody clean and green. GumBits and Banks Mill Feeds kept the horses happy and, as always, they trailered to and from the show in safety and style in their Equispirit trailer.

Next on the schedule is the first of several CDI’s at the Gold Coast Opener on January 22-24. Shawna will be competing with Come On in the Grand Prix classes and Rigo in the Developing Horse tests. Shawna’s young horse, Contreau, will also move up to Second Level for the first time.

Shawna and the herd capped off a great year at last weekend’s USDF Region 1 Dressage Championships in Lexington, VA with wins in all four championship classes they entered.

Come On III won the Grand Prix and Intermediare II championships with scores of 69.574% and 68.947% respectively. This was a fitting end to a very productive first year for Come On competing at Grand Prix. Last week, the final USDF Horse of the Year rankings were released with Come On finishing eighth behind six former Olympians. His late-season performance is showing steady improvement and strength throughout the entire Grand Prix test. The weekend’s wins were Come On’s fifth and sixth USDF regional championship wins (previous wins include 2006 Fourth Level, Fourth Level Freestyle and Prix St. Georges and 2007 Intermediare I).

Shawna and Rigo, owned by Tonya Rowe, won the Fourth Level championship with a score of 69.756%. Rigo finished the season as the top ranked horse in the country at Fourth Level in the 2009 USDF Horse of the Year standings. This was Rigo’s third regional championship win (previous wins include 2007 First Level and 2008 Second Level).

Shawna and her young horse Contreau won the First Level championship with a score of 73.289% in a big class with 32 entries. This was an exciting win for Contreau considering it was only his fourth event and eighth time “down the center line” in his young career.

Kathleen Broughan’s Richman also had some good news with a second place finish in the final USDF Horse of the Year rankings at Fourth Level.

Shawna and the horses are taking a break from the show ring in November before gearing up for the Wellington winter season.

Shawna and Come On III kicked off their Grand Prix career on January 23-25 at the Gold Coast Opener in West Palm Beach, FL. Friday was a good first outing for the pair. Come On is still developing in the piaffe and passage and, despite mistakes in the one tempi’s, first canter pirouette and halts, they scored a respectable 63.617% in their first ever time at the Grand Prix level. Sunday was a clearer indication of the enormous potential they have at this new level. Shawna and Come On scored 68.298% from two highly respected FEI “I” judges. Comments on the test sheet included “Lots of Potential”. Video of these and many of Shawna’s other rides is available on her (YouTube channel ).

This was also another great competition for Tonya Rowe’s Rigo and Kathleen Broughan’s Richman. Both continued their impressive season with Shawna by winning their classes with solid scores. Richman scored 73.636% in the Fourth Level Test 2 on Saturday. This was his only test of the weekend and, excluding freestyle and training level classes, was the second highest score of the entire 3-day event. His test included a 9 for the halt-rein-back movement.

Rigo racked up two wins in the Fourth Level Test 1. He scored 70.930% to win a large class on Friday. Under very difficult conditions late Sunday afternoon, Shawna and Rigo scored another win in the Fourth Level Test 1 with a 67.442%. This included Shawna’s second 9 of the event for Rigo’s extended trot. Rigo’s extended trot has developed into something that can be absolutely spectacular.

Shawna and Come On III’s next competition is February 5-8 at the Wellington Classic Spring Challenge.

Shawna kicked off the Wellington season with 5 wins last weekend (January 9-11) at the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge I in West Palm Beach, FL.

This event was Shawna and Come On III’s second start at the Intermediare II and their first time with the new FEI Intermediare II tests. Shawna’s scores of 74.474% and 69.737% made for two wins. The event reinforced that Come On’s fundamentals are developing correctly and they are setting their sights on the Grand Prix.

This event was also a coming out party for Kathleen Broughan’s stallion Richman. This was only Richman’s second competition in the United States and his first in the big Wellington environment. Shawna scored 71.395% in the Fourth Level Test 1 and 72.927% in the Fourth Level Test 3 for two more wins.

Tonya Rowe’s Rigo also made a big impression at the event with a 70.930% in the Fourth Level Test 1 on the first day giving him second place behind Shawna and Richman. Rigo then won the Fourth Level 1 on Sunday with a 72.326%. This was an enormously successful step up for Rigo. It was his very first Fourth Level competition after only three Third Level rides in his career.

The whole competition validated all the hard work Shawna and the horses have put into competing at these new levels. Next on the schedule is the Gold Coast Opener in West Palm Beach, FL on January 23-25. This will be Come On III’s debut at Grand Prix! Rigo and Richman will compete at Fourth Level and start to seal their qualifications for the end of the year championships.

The 2008 United States Dressage Federation (USDF) Awards season is concluded with Shawna winning several national awards aboard Come On III and Rigo (owned by Tonya Rowe):

Rigo also won the USDF Region 3 Championships for the southeastern United States at Second Level.

Shawna and the horses she has competed since returning from Europe have accomplished much in the last two years:

• 76 wins with an average score of 70.3% on 4 different horses.
• 9 International (CDI) wins with an average score in CDI classes of 70.1%.
• 8-time USDF Regional Champion on 3 different horses.
• 2007 USEF National Developing Horse Championships - Reserve Champion.
• 2008 USEF National Intermediare I Championships - Third Place.

Shawna is now in Wellington for the Winter season. Come On III has moved up to Intermediare II and will soon start his Grand Prix career. After two impressive years at First and Second Level, Tonya Rowe’s Rigo will continued to compete at Third Level and Fourth soon thereafter. Kathleen Broughan’s Richman is demonstrating enormous potential and will be showing Fourth Level and Prix St. Georges.

Shawna added to her impressive list of top national rankings by claiming first in the USDF Dressage Horse of the Year standings with Tonya Rowe’s Rigo. The pair is currently in first place at Second Level with a median score of 71.722%.

Shawna currently owns first place in the USDF standings in eight categories:

* North American Danish Warmblood Association (USDF All-Breed Award Standings)

Shawna and Come On III brought home third place at the USEF National Intermediare I Championships in San Juan Capistrano, CA on June 27-29. Shawna and Come On III placed second, second and fifth in the Prix St. Georges, Intermediare I and Intermediare I Freestyle classes respectively. The pair scored in the 70’s all three days.

The event was a showcase of the top Intermediare I teams in the country. Shawna and Come On III were in the thick of a three-way race for the championships all three days with Olympians Michelle Gibson and Steffen Peters. It was great competition and an excellent experience for Come On III that clearly established the pair as a team to watch.

Shawna thanks the many sponsors, friends and family who helped her and Come On III reach the Championships. It was a wonderful outpouring of support that made the trip possible.

Jeff and Shereen Fuqua, owners of Collecting Gaits Farm, recently provided sponsorship to Shawna and Come On III to help them reach the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions in San Juan Capistrano on June 27-29, 2008.

Shawna and Come On III enter the Championships ranked third in the USEF Intermediare I Championship rankings. They are also currently first in the USDF Dressage Horse of the Year standings at the Prix St. Georges, Intermediare I and Intermediare I Freestyle levels. The costs of transportation from Aiken, SC to the Championships in California are significant, and the Fuqua’s generous sponsorship goes a long way toward funding the trip.

Shereen Fuqua, commenting on the sponsorship, said: “For several years, Collecting Gaits Farm is committed to sponsoring the sport of dressage through various show programs and up and coming professional riders. Last year, we were surprised not to see Shawna and Come On III at Gladstone. Jeff and I have been following the pair for the last three years. We have not met Shawna, but saw an article that she needed sponsors to make it to California. So I called her up and offered to help. We wish Shawna and all the finalists the best of luck in 2008 Collecting Gaits Farm Festival of Champions!”

Shawna was understandably excited about the sponsorship: “I was excited and almost brought to tears when I received a call out of the blue from the Fuqua’s about my challenge in funding the trip to the Championships. Collecting Gaits Farm has been an incredible force in promoting our sport through their sponsorship of events and riders. Almost every week you read about something they do to advance our sport. It touched me deeply that they would help me to reach the Championships. We all work very hard in this sport and it’s special when someone takes notice of your accomplishments.”